King and the others were visibly stunned, disbelief spreading across their faces. Encountering a pirate of that caliber usually meant only one thing—war.
What made things worse was the history. Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, held a grudge against the Golden Lion from long ago.
"He's probably looking for Vane," said Queen, his tone uncertain. "The Golden Lion and Vane have a good relationship."
Jack frowned. "What's his purpose here, though?"
Meanwhile, Kaido, having already left the headquarters, transformed into his enormous Azure Dragon form. He soared into the sky and flew toward the northern mountains of the Flower Capital, where Vane and the Golden Lion awaited.
As Kaido's massive form loomed once more above the Flower Capital, the residents who were already frightened by the dozens of floating islands above them began to panic. Now, they had more to fear.
The ruler of Wano—the mysterious Vane—seemed to have close ties with Kaido. With Kaido present, the Flower Capital now hosted three figures of unmatched power: Kaido of the Beasts, Vane, and the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki.
These three were titans of the seas.
Still, most of Wano's people, cut off from the world's information, didn't even know who the Golden Lion was.
"Kaido is here," Vane said calmly, watching a colossal blue dragon streak across the sky.
The Golden Lion didn't reply, only offering a small smile.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Kaido landed about ten meters behind the Golden Lion, his arrival cracking the ground beneath him.
"Shiki… it's been a long time," Kaido said, his deep, rough voice laced with alcohol and menace.
Vane pointed toward an open space nearby. Kaido hesitated briefly, then sat down—his massive frame towering even in a seated position. The Golden Lion sat to his right, and Vane was positioned between them. Google seaʀᴄh novel-fire.ɴet
Even seated, Kaido stood over five meters tall. In comparison, Golden Lion and Vane looked almost like ordinary men.
Gion, now standing even closer to Vane, subtly moved to his side. With Golden Lion and Kaido here, Vane was clearly the anchor in the midst of two explosive powers. She instinctively sought his presence for reassurance.
Kaido looked every bit the monster of legend.
He had always clashed with the Golden Lion—then again, every prominent pirate of the past had crossed paths with Kaido at some point. Back on the Rocks Pirates' ship, Kaido had butted heads with almost everyone—except Big Mom, who had always shown him a strange kindness. The crew was infamously chaotic.
Yet despite their rivalries, they didn't erupt into conflict now. Even gods had to swallow their grudges at times.
Just then, a jar of sake floated down from the sky. Manipulated by Golden Lion's power, it landed squarely in front of Kaido.
"Kaido, I'm not afraid of you, even if you look more terrifying than ever," the Golden Lion smirked without even glancing at him. He offered the sake out of respect for Vane. Were Vane not here, things might have turned violent.
"Shiki, I still remember how you ambushed me on the ship back then," Kaido growled.
He was referring to their time under Rocks. The Golden Lion had bested him once. The Rocks crew often battled among themselves to prove their strength. Kaido had stood out, entering the crew thanks to Big Mom and fighting his way up to become the most formidable intern—and the last—of the Rocks Pirates.
Soon after, the incident on God Valley occurred. The crew's deep-rooted grudges prevented them from forming a united front, making it impossible for them to become a pirate group capable of challenging the World Government.
The Rocks Pirates, once the most powerful in the world, produced two legendary Emperors from the old era—and three more from the great pirate era that followed. Whitebeard's fame spanned both eras. The only other crew that came close was the Roger Pirates, known for their numerous users of Conqueror's Haki.
"What a terrifying pirate crew that was…" Vane muttered. The so-called "Great Pirate Era" seemed tame in comparison. Today's Worst Generation looked like children playing pirate games. And with figures like Enel and CP9 no longer in play, Luffy's journey would no longer follow the path of the original story. If Vane took care of Crocodile, Luffy might not even rise to the level of a Supernova.
"So," Vane said, narrowing his eyes, "what exactly happened at the Island of the Gods?"
The Golden Lion didn't answer. Kaido, surprised by the question, took a long swig from his jar before responding.
"The Island of the Gods is a sacred place where the Celestial Dragons hold their rituals. They call themselves gods, but the island wasn't always theirs," Kaido said, his voice filled with disdain. "A long time ago, the island was the stronghold of the D clan. After the D clan fell, the Celestial Dragons built Mariejois atop the Red Line and claimed the island for themselves, renaming it the Island of the Gods."
Golden Lion scoffed. "Who knows if anything Rocks said was even true? Neither Newgate nor I supported his madness against the World Government. His ambitions were too big for his strength. He wanted to rule the world, and we were just pawns. In the end, he got himself killed. All that talk about the D clan—maybe it was just a story he made up."
Kaido's eyes flared. "Shiki, are you trying to start a war with me?"
He paused before continuing. "Back then, Rocks believed in me. I respected him more than anyone. But he died in that battle! We had Celestial Dragons on their knees. If we'd killed them all—slaves included—we would've waged war against the World Government. Then that idiot Roger showed up and ruined everything by protecting the Celestial Dragons. Can you believe it?"
"You don't understand Roger," the Golden Lion said firmly.
He always spoke highly of Roger. Even after all these years, the respect was still there.
"And you don't understand Rocks," Kaido snapped.
The tension was rising. The two legends were seconds away from clashing again.
"Enough!" Vane roared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Both Kaido and Golden Lion paused. The air around them settled as they acknowledged his authority. Gion looked at Vane, visibly impressed by the way he handled two of the world's most dangerous men.
"Roger and Rocks are both dead," Vane said coldly. "History has proven that neither of them had what it takes to last."
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